How to Put in a Wood Fence Post
Building a fence for your yard or garden can really improve the looks and value of the area. Perhaps the most important thing you must do correctly when building a fence is to install, or set, a fence post. The posts are the cornerstones of the fence, and provide both alignment and support for the panels or pickets. Depending on the soil of your yard, digging a hole and setting a post correctly should only take you about 20 minutes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fence post(s)
- Posthole digger (or auger)
- Tape measure
- Shovel
- Gravel
- Level
- Cement (quick drying, 10-lb. bag)
- Wheelbarrow
Instructions
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1
Purchase enough fence posts for the fence. Typically you will need one post for each corner of the fence, and an additional post spaced every 6 to 8 feet along the fence line. For picket or panel fences buy fence posts that are 2 feet longer than the length of pickets orfence sections you will use, since you will bury the post 24 inches into the ground. For example, buy 6-foot-long posts if you are building a 4-foot-high fence.
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2
Mark the spot for the first fence post. Dig a hole that is 30 inches deep and about three times the diameter of the fence post. Measure the depth of the hole with a tape measure.
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3
Fill in the bottom of the hole with 6 inches of gravel. Gravel helps keep the post level and aids in draining rainwater away from the post. Measure from the top of the gravel to the top of the hole; it should be 24 inches.
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4
Place the post into the middle of the hole. Have a friend hold the post in place. Use a level to straighten the post. Adjust the post as needed.
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5
Mix some quick-drying cement in a wheelbarrow with a shovel. Fill in the area of the hole around the post with the cement. Stop filling the hole about 3 or 4 inches from the top. Pack the rest of the hole in with dirt. Tamp the dirt down firmly with the shovel.
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6
Check the post again with the level to make sure it is straight.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
